Tag Archives: speaking

I Have Nothing to Wear!

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I’m sitting here in a dress and heels. It’s not my usual at home attire but this morning I went to an early Bible study group and on my way home I decided to stop at Marshall’s. Lately when I’ve gone to dress for an occasion – other than going for a run, chores around the house, writing or trips to Publix, I’ve stood  in front of my closet bemoaning the fact that I have nothing to wear!

Know what I mean, Vern? (If you are much younger than I am, you may not get that  reference. Sigh…I’m getting older every minute.)

As a speaker and teacher who stands before an audience (sometimes under spotlights), choosing an appropriate wardrobe for those occasions is difficult! There are so many variables that come into play. Here are just a few:

  • Comfort – This is a must because as a speaker I do not want to be distracted by physical pain from shoes or ill fitting clothing.
  • Neckline – For obvious reasons. I make use of camis and tank tops but those don’t always work.
  • Hemline – Some churches have very high platforms and while a skirt length may be perfectly fine on the same level as the audience, go up 3 feet (or more) and it becomes a factor. Even with pants the hem length is a consideration. Did I mention I’m only 5’2 1/2″? Hem length of pants determines heel height and did I mention comfort already? I thought I had. ; )
  • Sweat factor – Combine the normal stress of  speaking (especially those first 3 minutes) with a stuffy room and power surges…shall we say? And you’ve got rings that aren’t bling! Some clothing camouflages wetness much better than others. Light to medium toned solids are the worst!
  • Figure flattering – We all want to look our best especially when “out front.” I certainly want to dress modestly while still dressing “current” and with the knowledge as to what is becoming for my body type.
  • Fit – I don’t know about you but my weight fluctuates. What I may have worn three months ago may be a bit too tight to wear next week!

So, why am I writing this on a weekday afternoon in a dress and heels? Because when I stopped in at Marshall’s this morning I found a dress on clearance! And because I DO NOT ENJOY retail dressing rooms, I bought it without trying it on first. I’m wearing it now. I like it! I almost passed it up because I thought the pattern might look like horizontal stripes and I DO NOT DO HORIZONTAL STRIPES.

My daughter is out of town and so I had my son take a couple of pictures of me in the new dress so I could send them to her.

I think this dress may make the cut for speaking. I’ve got a tailored black jacket that I can wear over it.

Are you a speaker, teacher, trainer or someone who regularly leads meetings for work? Can you relate to any of the above? Do you have a go to uniform for speaking?

Yeah…I think I got myself a horizontal striped dress after all. I still like it.

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Discovering the Power of Grace

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On Saturday, September 15, 2012, I will be the guest speaker (2 sessions) at the Harbor Life Church women’s conference. It begins at 9:00 and includes a light breakfast, silent auction and lunch. If you live in the Tampa Bay area and would like more information about attending this “open” event, contact Harbor Life Church (Safety Harbor, FL) at 727.726.7016.

Excerpts from my Bible study, “Life in the Key of G ~ Grace & Glory” -

What I Knew of Grace

For most of my life all I really knew of the grace of God was the grace that saves. I was a wife and mother of three children, a busy worker in the church and was raised in a pastor’s home. But I was living a kind of “white knuckled” life in which I was straining to live righteously under my own power and in my own strength.

What Paul learned about Grace

Paul pleaded with the Lord three times that the thorn might depart. God did not answer Paul’s prayer to remove the source of suffering. He allowed the thorn to remain and instead taught Paul the power of His grace. Paul did not get what he asked for but God gave Him what He needed to endure, despite the thorn, and continue in His service to the Lord.

I Learned to Surrender to Grace

God created us with free will. However to live our best and our fullest in Him, requires submission to His will. In this I find a mysterious paradox, for to wholly submit to God, I must will to surrender to Him. I find there is a weakness in my flesh, however, that keeps the object of “self” – pride, fear, anger, disappointment, pain – in my clenched hands. To surrender means I give up control. To surrender leads to more change. To surrender is a sacrifice of self.

I Discovered a Link Between Grace & Glory

God’s grace enables and empowers us to fulfill every good purpose to which He’s called us so that Christ might be glorified in us and us in Him.

While we are partakers of God’s glory, He is not willing that anything other than Himself be enthroned in our lives. There are no other gods before Him, for He, alone, is worthy of the weight of honor, excellency and glory. It really is “all about Him.”

Above I’ve shared just a few excerpts from my “Life in the Key of G ~ Grace & Glory” Bible study but I’d love to share more. Originally written for a 5 session retreat, I have a condensed version I can offer for weekend or single day conferences. Feel free to contact me for more information using the contact form found  here.

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness”

(2 Cor. 12:9).

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Call It Like It Is

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Creativity is in our spiritual DNA. Made in the image of God – the GO{L}D Standard when it comes to creativity – we are creative beings.

Have you ever considered that when God gave Adam the task of naming the animals, it  was a creative endeavor?

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19 NKJV)

God brought the animals to Adam to see what he would call them! Let that settle deep. I’ll be honest with you. Sometimes I hesitate to call myself a speaker and a writer. Sometimes I’m tempted to remove those identifications from my blog, facebook and twitter.

Why?

Because sometimes I feel like a fraud…a poser…an imposter.

Real writers have published books and articles. Real speakers have a calendar dotted with engagements.

Several years ago I wanted to challenge myself to be a runner. I analyzed what it takes to be a runner. The right shoes. The right clothes. The right pace. The right body type. And after all of that I settled on this one thing. You may need to sit down for this epiphany.

To be a real runner – run.

Are you thinking what I thought? That’s not very deep. In fact, it’s too simple.

I know. Yet, sometimes simple is the deepest kind of deep.

Notice I didn’t challenge myself to start running. I wanted more than that. I wanted to be a runner. Call myself a runner. Be identified as a runner.

I’ve entered a few races – 5k’s, 10k’s, a triathlon (team member), and a half marathon. It’s been months since I ran in my last race. But you know what? I’m still a runner. A real runner. Because I run.

It’s been a while since I submitted an article for publication. But I’m still a writer. A real writer. And though the speaking engagements on my calendar are spotty, I’m still a Bible teacher and a speaker. A real one.

Last summer as I was praying and pondering about the ministry of speaking, teaching and writing, I felt that still, small voice tell me to call it what it is.

  • To create is to bring something into existence.

God created the animals.

  • Creations need a name.

God brought the creation before Adam to be named.

If I’m not honest and brave enough to call myself what I know I am, would that part of me wander aimlessly on this earth waiting for its ceremonial naming?

Regardless of where my writing and speaking may or may not take me, my heart is  fullest when I’m creating words that speak God’s truth…when I’m crafting lines of prose or poetry. God brought those gifts to me and waited to see what I would call them.

Teacher. Speaker. Writer

For real.

What do you call yourself? Are you afraid to call yourself what you know you are at heart? Leader, teacher, speaker, artist, idea maker, actor, writer, decorator, designer?

This post is linked to Jen’s at Finding Heaven.

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God With Us

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Since I was just a little girl I’ve loved God. It was at a tender age I accepted Christ as my Savior, and still there are many things I do not know about God. A few years ago I had arrived at a place where I thought I had some real answers about God and His ways.

But when our son was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and did not receive the miraculous intervention we had prayed for and expected, I realized I no longer had all the answers. I only had one answer ~ Jesus Christ.

I suspect that you, too, have questions about God.

  • Why do the innocent suffer?
  • Why do bad things happen to godly people?
  • Why am I alone?
  • Why does God intervene in some situations and not others?

What if you got the answer to what I call the big question? Would it be enough to satisfy you? I’m not sure the answer to why my beautiful son, Andrew, was not healed would change anything for me or my husband or Andrew’s big brother and big sister.

In preparing to speak one week before the 2nd anniversary of our son’s passing on December 15, 2009, the Holy Spirit inspired me with a passage from Matthew 1:23.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated God with us.”

God with us. Just three little words but what great and eternal impact in three little words. God with us. You see, “God with us” assures us that God enters into life with us. He does life with us.

Despite the answers to the hard questions that we do not have, all we really need to know about God exists in the name Immanuel ~ God with us. The only question we really need answered is, “God, are You with us? God are You with me?”

I hope this short excerpt from my Christmas message will be a help to you.

 

Click the button to read more posts on Jen’s blog from the Soli Deo Gloria community.

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True Womanhood ~ video?

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As I prepare for my upcoming teaching series on True Womanhood…Fully HIS Finally Me, I’d like to know if you would view a weekly video about 3 minutes in length. My idea is to have 2 -3 posts per week with one being a short video on the subject. 

Also please see the top right sidebar and place your vote. Thanks!

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